


Nightlight

by sevansa



Series: You built me palaces out of paragraphs [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And some sleep, Ed Swears, Fluff, Give that boy some proper self-esteem, Libraries, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 04:42:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14686713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevansa/pseuds/sevansa
Summary: Awkward first meetings can give way to the best chances in life, if given half a chance.//OR.The hot-librarian-Roy!AU Nobody asked for.





	Nightlight

A shadow falls over the page he's reading and Edward is instantly annoyed™.

He looks up gearing to give the heathen a piece of his mind when all the words in his brain suddenly disappears into the ether because _hello there_ gorgeous.

The second he's consciously aware of the thought his face turns scarlet and holy fuck he can actually feel it, he hopes the stranger takes the redness as a sign of anger.

A single glance at the man and the smug smirk he's wearing tells him that there is no chance in hell.

Edward glares.

“you're blocking my light.” he says gruffly, golden eyes flying back to the -definitely more interesting- text.

“Sorry about that sir, but I'll have to ask you to leave.” the man says and fuck can a voice be hot? ‘cause that man got a hot voice… like really hot. As in, rates its own category, hot. like-

Edward really needs to get laid.

And then he registers the words and any lingering attraction is transformed instantly into indignation.

“The fuck?! I haven't done anything!” he screeches.

The man winces, but the polite smile is back on his face quicker than a light wave through a vacuum.

“I'm aware ,sir, but the library closes at 11 p.m.” the man says.

As If that clarifies anything.

“Yeah.” Edward says, he may be ignorant about some shit but this ,at least, he knows.

The man waits.

Edward waits.

“It's currently 11:15, sir.” is said with a sigh.

Edward winces and rummages through his pocket, extracting his beat up phone and yep 6 missed calls, all from Al.

“Ah. Shit. Sorry. I’ll uh- I'll pack my stuff now, sorry.” Edward says flustered, there's nothing worse than feeling like you've inconvenienced someone, so he tries to hurry up, and it's sort of a whirlwind he’s gathering papers and closing books and he can't find his pen? Shit and the dude is just standing there, shit.

He fights the urge to apologize once more.

“Would you like some help,sir?” the man finally takes some pity on him and offers.

“Shit, no thanks, and stop with the sir bullshit, names Ed. I'll be out of your hair, just- can't find- damned pen-” The man leans forward and Ed freezes, he can't help but notice the way his black hair falls over his eyes like a silky curtain or some other bullshit-ty description from those romance novels that Al and Winry seem to love so much.

“This one, Ed?” the man says holding said pen and Edward _likes_ the way his name sounds on the strangers lips.

“Yep, that's the one!” he says snatching off the pen from the man’s pale hand like the awkward fuck he actually is.

He running on barely an sleep and a shit ton of coffee, he's jittery and shaking and gorgeous librarian probably thinks he's some sort of druggie. Shit.

But the man is smiling and it seems more amused than customer service-y. That's a win? Maybe?

Hot librarian takes a step back and Ed feels like can breathe once more.

It feels like ages later when it probably didn't even pass the two minute mark but he's got his shit in his bag and he's keying Al’s number wanting to assure his brother that he haven't been kidnapped and sold as spare organs yet.

Hot librarian is still standing there, seemingly hesitant about something.

Ed pauses, phone held between one shoulder and his ear while his hands are busy retieing his hair that's came loose off its high tail.

There is a social cue that Ed’s missing.

He's wracking his brain hard for it when it hits.

“Uh Yeah, thanks for the help-” his eyes seek the employee badge that proudly declare that the hot librarian is Roy and is Happy To Help! “-Roy.”

Roy seems to shake himself off his stupor and Ed is stubbornly not reminded of Den or how cute the dog is, nor its correlation to the current individual standing mere steps away.

He fails.

Miserably.

Edward turns tail and ushers himself out of the library before he can make a fool out of himself. He's barely a step away from the doors, salvation is so, so close he can taste it, he can already feel himself on their lumpy couch at home moaning to Al about how unfair everything was when a hand catches his wrist. Ed whirls around.

Roy is standing there an oddly intense look in his dark, dark eyes.

Ed looks down to where the man is holding his wrist, his exhausted brain somehow finding the contrast in the skin tones fascinating.

“you forgot this.” Roy says handing him a piece of paper. Ed flushes and takes the paper, quickly shoving it in his pocket without looking at it.

“um. Yeah. Thanks.” he stutters out. Roy smiles at him, the expression so at odds with the previous smirks that Ed’s brain just. Does. Not. Compute.

“Anytime.” he says, fingers lingering more than they probably should on Ed’s wrist.

This is either flirting or Ed’s brain is really turning into mush.

He'll take the mush. It makes more sense to be honest.

Ed beats a hasty retreat.

………

Somehow he makes it home.

“Brother!” a flying projectile calls out as it engulfs Edward in a tight hug.

“Gah!- Al-what?” He tries to get out but his face is smushed awkwardly in his brother’s shoulder, -that freakishly tall giant- so the message is probably not well-received.

“You didn't call, you didn't answer! You said your last class was at two! You said you'll be home by seven!”

Edward winces. “Shit Al, sorry I just got caught up in this book? It was actually quite interesting I think you'd like to read it-” he rambles on and starts rummaging through his stuff. “-here!”

“Brother, who is Roy?” Al says calm as hell.

Ed freezes. And turns to look at his brother, he's holding a piece of very familiar paper.

“Um, who? Don't know anyone named Roy.” Edward lies, face flaming.

“Uh-huh, they why is he giving you his number?” Al asks again, this time a smirk evident in his -beautiful- voice.

“He didn-” The instant denial starts to fall of his tongue then”-wait! He gave me his number?” Ed asks and ugh he sounds _hopeful_ what the fuck?

Al nods and he's smiling his fucking evil oh-i’m-so-cute-and-innocent-i-can't-be-planning-on-humiliating-my-poor-older-brother smile.

Ed hates that smile.

“So?” He asks again, elongating the word so that it sounds more like a sentence.

“Ugh” Ed makes his way towards the couch and flops face first into it, hiding in the cushions.

“Come on, brother! Don't make me tickle it out of you.”

Ed whirls to his brother. “ you wouldn't dare.” he hisses.

“Try me.” he says, all false innocent smiles and soft sweaters. The little shit.

“Fine. But know that this is being said under duress. Duress I say!”

“Noted brother-” Al says fondly. “-Now do tell.” he adds as he makes himself comfortable over the end of the couch, placing Ed’s feet in his lap.

It may sound cute, but Ed knows. His feet are being held hostage, under threat of a tickle attack. If the information isn't made available soon.

“It's the librarian. Roy’s the librarian.” Ed finally admits.

“Oh, the one from central library, was he blond?” Al asks probably going through the mental catalogue of all humans they'd ever met. Ed sighs. There no getting out of the interrogation huh.

“Nah. He's got black hair.” gorgeous, fluffy-looking black ha- ugh.

“Oh yes! I remember him. He's quite good looking isn't he?”

“yea- WAIT no! He's fine. Not _fine_ fine. Just like normal fine. Like a dude. A normal dude.” he says at last. Satisfied that words are finally cooperating.

Al doesn't look convinced. Bastard brother with his magic lie detecting skills.

“You going to text him?” Al asks. And fuck isn't that the million dollar question.

Ed sighs and wiggles around so that he’s sort of twisted on the couch.

“I don't know Al. I'm just… super busy you know? With classes and work and everything.”

“I think you should give it a shot, brother.” Al says, gently.

Ed is silent. “You think so?”

“I really,really do. And who knows, maybe something good will come out of it!”

“pshw, yeah right.”

“Who knows brother, I think you're due for some good in your life by now, it's only equivalent!"

"Huh, well when you put it that way... maybe-maybe I will." Ed finally says.

Maybe it's the lack of sleep, maybe it's the double-digited number cups of coffees he's consumed but at this very second, texting Roy the Hot Librarian™ doesn't sound like a half-bad idea.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! And thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed this piece, comments and kudos are greatly cherished! Also, would appreciate being told about any typos and stuff, this fic has been written and edited in less than five hours collectively.. so yeah  
> Anyway  
> You can find me on my tumblr sevansarr.  
> Come give me a holler! I'm friendly I swear!
> 
> 19/5- some minor typo fixes!


End file.
